‘Bloquons tout’: France braces for September 10 unrest

An unfiltered citizen-led call for civil disobedience spreads like wildfire online, threatening to paralyze France on September 10. Beneath the surface chaos lies a deep-seated national malaise, one that challenges official narratives and exposes the fragility of social cohesion.

While Prime Minister François Bayrou unveils a summer austerity shock, timed strategically during the legislative lull, the citizen-led initiative “Bloquons tout!” has emerged with a tone of radical defiance. The directive is simple: shut down the country starting September 10. The phrase “Bloquons tout” (Block everything) is now a viral keyphrase, embedded in hashtags, visual campaigns, and likely soon, in the streets.

Grassroots defiance: beyond unions and parties

Originating from social networks, the “Bloquons tout! Mobilisation 10 septembre” collective insists on its independence from political parties and unions. In a clear break from traditional mobilization channels, it promotes horizontal structure, grassroots anger, and strategic decentralization. With only about twenty known organizers, according to Le Parisien, the movement’s appeal lies in its anti-institutional ethos.

The campaign’s strength lies in digital virality. On X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Facebook, hashtags like #10septembre2025 and #BloquonsTout have gained momentum. Visuals often carry historical or ideological references, echoing anti-authoritarian iconography designed to resonate across generational divides.

Bayrou’s 2026 budget: a spark in the powder keg

The trigger? Bayrou’s 2026 budget, presented on July 15, proposing €43.8 billion in savings. The measures include scrapping two public holidays, freezing pensions, and slashing €5 billion from public healthcare. This budget has ignited resentment far beyond leftist fringes.

“For the first time in my life, I’m going to protest,” says Julien, a mid-level salesman from the Haut-Rhin region, speaking to RMC. Such testimonials signal a shift in public mood, from passive frustration to active disobedience.

Echoes of the Yellow Vests, without the vest

The comparisons with the 2018 Yellow Vest movement are inevitable. Both are anti-elitist, decentralized, and thrive outside institutional boundaries. Yet this time, there are no high-visibility vests, no roundabout blockades. Instead, we see encrypted chats, QR-coded flyers, AI-generated protest art.

Their demands are sweeping: the reinstatement of public holidays, the end of subsidies to mega-retailers, coordinated cash withdrawals from major banks, and symbolic occupations of state buildings. The common thread? A call for concrete solidarity through neighborhood assemblies and strike funds. In their words: “Boycott, disobey, but not alone.”

Political co-opting and ideological tension

Though claiming to be apolitical, the movement has already drawn interest from France’s nationalist right. Influencers like Myriam Palomba and Jean Messiha have publicly endorsed the protest, prompting suspicion from the progressive camp.

One viral visual, an AI-rendered poster reminiscent of wartime propaganda, calls citizens to stop the “racket.” It’s signed by “Phare Patriote,” a nationalist group calling for patriotic unity. While the left debates, the right occupies space.

A hesitant left, cautious unions

Many on the left remain ambivalent. Some feminist and sociological figures urge participation, but most remain paralyzed by the movement’s ambiguous ideological footprint. Sociologist Nicolas Framont argues that collective action dilutes far-right influence. An optimistic read, some would say.

Meanwhile, France’s major unions tread carefully. While CGT leaders remind the public that true disruption occurs within the workplace, they also admit the situation is combustible. The CGT, CFDT, FO and others have launched a joint petition, “Bayrou’s Budget: Enough!”, garnering over 200,000 signatures in 48 hours.

A government watching, nervously

Within Bayrou’s cabinet, the mood is tense. “We’re monitoring, but it’s too early to tell,” a Ministry of Interior contact tells BFMTV. This wait-and-see posture echoes the same misjudgments made before the 2018 uprisings.

One Bayrou advisor put it bluntly to RTL: “It’s viral. I don’t see how this turns physical.” But that’s precisely the miscalculation. Revolts are often born in the space between perception and policy.